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| Mt Ward. |
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| Approach was from the snow banks on left flank. |
15 January 2012 - A mid-morning departure from Mawson saw us at Rumdoodle Hut by midday.
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| Ascent - View of Mt Elliot |
A quick lunch of cheese, cracker biscuits and a cup of tea and we headed off for Mt Ward. The intention was to make an attempt on the peak to the north of Mt Ward, this appeared to provide reasonable access up a snow bank to close to the summit.
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| The last stretch. |
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| Descending the snow bank. |
It would also have good views and provide a guide to the best way to attempt Mt Ward itself. The three in the group included Tom (FTO) Fearless (SL) and me.
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| Welch Is between Rumdoodle peaks |
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| The descent. |
From the hut we headed around the edge of Lassitude melt lake, refrozen after a short period of melt water during the peak of summer.
Up and over the ice ridge formed as the glacier forces past the range. Then we descended down the northern edge of another large frozen melt lake to the foot of a snow bank leading up to our peak.
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| Across the glacier to the hut |
The approach was straight forward – head up the snow bank leading to the base of the cliffs that led to the summit. Access was also possible around the snow bank on scree and large boulders.
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| Lassitude Lake near Rumdoodle Hut |
By 3pm we had reached the foot of the cliff and had found a gully that looked like it went to the peak. There was a reasonable amount of steep ice and a couple of long stretches that were made easier with a rope.
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| Mt Ward but one. |
45 minutes later we were standing on a level ridge that made up the peak. The views were spectacular but the flat light from overcast sky made photographs less than optimal.
Tom found an alternative decent that led also to Mt Ward but time was against us so we returned
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| Descending |
the way we had come.
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| Wind Scour - Fern Hill |
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| Wind scour |
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| Wind scour |
The following morning we again visited the foot of Mt Ward but this time
to look at the extensive melt lakes and wind scour to the north of Fern Hill.
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Melt lake and wind scour
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